Alafair Burke
Alafair Burke
Alafair S. Burkeis an American crime novelist, professor of law, and legal commentator. She is the author of two series of crime novels—one featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher; the other, Portland, Oregon, prosecutor Samantha Kincaid. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
CountryUnited States of America
goodbye smart jealous
No Time For Goodbye is a deliciously smart thriller, full of surprises and perfect pacing. I'm jealous I didn't write it.
dope intelligence sides
Apparently, an undocumented side effect of dope is a gross overestimation of one's own intelligence. Dopers become convinced they've hidden their stash so well a cop won't find it. They're always wrong.
man next tattoo warning
Jesse James's next tattoo should be a warning label: Danger. Loving this man could break you.
exceptions procedures reader usual
Just as I know the usual rules of law enforcement, I also know the exceptions and invoke those frequently. I don't feel a need to bog the reader down with an explanation of why the procedures are realistic, as long as I know that there is, in fact, an explanation.
cooking drink good guilt red ribs short showing takes
Hmmm... cooking with wine? I usually drink wine while cooking... I do a good braised short ribs with cabernet, though. We're big red wine drinkers here. All that research showing that it's good for you takes the guilt away.
draw gave quickly series tempted
Anyone who was tempted to draw comparisons between my father's 'Dave Robicheaux' series and my first book quickly gave up.
article behind love means review stuff whether work
I find myself more and more behind these days. You have to be really diligent. I don't have kids, which helps. I'm always working on something, whether a book, or a law review article that no one will ever read, or teaching. It pretty much means I work a lot, but it's all stuff I love.
difference favorite love moved point portland series york
Moving to New York made all the difference in my creating this new series with Ellie Hatcher. I love Portland, and it's always going to be one of my favorite cities, but it was getting to the point where, after I'd moved to New York, I couldn't write as specifically about Portland any more.
father reading scene
Nothing worse than reading a love scene written by your father.
law rely-upon facts
In our system, we leave questions of fact to a jury. But to render a verdict, a jury must know the law. For this, we rely upon jury instructions. Instructions are supposed to translate the law into lay terms that the jury can apply to the facts as they determine them.
girlfriend murder-victims half
According to FBI statistics for 2008, only 22 percent of murder victims were killed by strangers. More than 30 percent were slain by family members, boyfriends, and girlfriends. Nearly half of all murders were committed by friends, neighbors, and casual acquaintances.
lying thinking crime-novels
The best crime novels are all based on people keeping secrets. All lying - you may think a lie is harmless, but you put them all together and there's a calamity.
etiquette wells cracked
Playing well with others isn't all it's cracked up to be.
couple benches standing-out
Anyone who's had a shower and hasn't ingested illegal narcotics within a couple of days stands out on a bench in the courthouse.